1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data recording apparatus which adds information approving copying, in other words, information regulating copying to any data objected to be recorded for recording to a recording medium, and which is preferably used for video data recording having, for example, visual data and audio data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to the recent development of recording techniques, a variety of recording apparatus which is compact but capable of recording a large amount of data and recording medium for actually recording data are being developed.
For example, AV data (audio/visual data), such as TV programs and movies, is mainly recorded to video tapes, compact disks (CD) and digital video disks (DVD), etc. While, game software and the like are often recorded in CDs and floppy disks (FD) although it includes AV data in the same way.
Also, program data to carrying out a desired processing including processing to output AV data and text data, etc. and a variety of data subjected to the processing are mainly recorded in FDs, hard magnetic disks (HD), CDs, magneto-optical disks (MO) and DVDs, etc. because of being processed by computers, etc. Recording media, such as memory cards and IC cards which uses a semiconductor memory as a recording medium, is being developed. As a matter of course, the relationships of the recording data and the recording medium are examples and any medium is capable of recording any data.
As an apparatus for recording desired data in a variety of modes and forms to a variety of media, a video camcorder and video tape recorder (VTR), magnetic disk apparatus are used, for example, in the case of AV data.
The fact that the data can be easily copied can be raised as one of the environmental characteristics of being able to record such a variety of data to a variety of apparatuses by using a variety of data recording apparatus. On the other hand, there is a disadvantage which leads to make copies ignoring copyrights easier of works like AV data, game software, program software and other various data. Especially, when recording data in a digital mode, the data can be copied without deterioration of data at all, as a result, a large number of publications infringing copyrights can be widely spread.
There is a recording format which regulates information on a permission and restriction of copying in formats for recording. However, the fact is that only traders concerned who release such publication (in such a specific format) as their products for sale and some others regulate copying by using such information. Further, it is only by adding such information concerning permission of copying in the recording data by using an apparatus exclusive for producing memory media as products. In other words, in the existing data recording apparatus, such as above video camcorder, a VTR, a magnetic disk apparatus, there have been no such apparatuses capable of recording data in a desired format as taking account of the state of permission and restrictions on copying.
Accordingly, it has been substantially unable, for example, for authors of the publication to record the data of their produced publication to a recording medium in a format of regulating copying by themselves.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a data recording apparatus by which, for example, authors and others can record any data of publication data desired to be put under a copy restriction to a recording medium in an actually desired condition of restricting copying.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data recording apparatus by which, for example, authors and others can change the data record to be regulated in an actually desired condition to any data already recorded in a recording medium.
To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a data recording apparatus for recording any data in a recording medium, comprising: a copy permission condition information input means for inputting a copy permission condition information on the data to be recorded; a copy permission condition information read means for reading copy permission condition information of the data recorded in said recording medium, from said recording medium; a copy permission condition information generating means for newly generating new copy permission condition information based on said read copy permission condition information; and a copy permission condition information recording means for recording said newly generated copy permission condition information to the recording medium.
Preferably, the data recording apparatus further comprises a record judging means for judging whether or not said copy permission condition information is recorded on said recording medium and outputting a judgement result and said copy permission condition information recording means generates new copy permission condition information based on said copy permission condition information from said copy permission condition information recording means when it is judged that said copy permission condition information is not recorded on said recording medium.
Further preferably, the data recording apparatus further comprises an input judgement means for judging whether or not said copy permission condition information is input from said copy permission condition information recording means; and said copy permission condition information generating means generates copy permission condition information for permitting a plurality of copies when it is judged that said copy permission condition information is not input by said input judgment means.
Further preferably, the data recording apparatus further comprises a recording means for recording a data to be recorded input means to which said data to be recorded is input and said input data to be recorded on said recording medium and a format conversion means for converting said data to be recorded into a predetermined format, and said data to be recorded is recorded to said recording medium in said predetermined format.
Further preferably the data recording apparatus further comprises a record data generating means for generating said data to be recorded and said recording means records said generated data to be recorded to said recording medium.
Further, to achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a data recording method for recording data to a recording medium, including: a copy permission condition information inputting process for inputting copy permission condition information to data to be recorded; a copy permission condition information reading process for reading copy permission condition information of data recorded in said recording medium, form said recording medium; a copy permission condition information generating process for generating new copy permission condition information based on said input copy permission condition information and said copy permission condition information recorded in said recording medium; and a copy permission condition information recording process for recording newly generated copy permission condition information to the recording medium.
Preferably, the data recording method further includes recording judgement process for judging whether or not said copy permission condition information is recorded on said recording medium and outputting a judgement result, and in said copy permission condition information generating process, new copy permission condition information is generated based on said copy permission condition information from said copy permission condition information input process when it is judged that said copy permission condition information is not recorded in said recording medium by said recording judgement process.
Further preferably, the data recording method further includes input judgement process for judging whether or not said copy permission condition information is input form said copy permission condition information input means, and in said copy permission condition information generating process, copy permission condition information for a plurality of times is generated when it is judged by said input judgement means that said copy permission condition information is not recorded.
Further preferably, said recording medium is recorded thereon said data to be recorded, said copy permission condition information in a predetermined format, and in said copy permission condition information record process, said newly generated copy permission condition information is recorded in a field of copy permission condition information in said format on said recording medium.
Further preferably, the data recording method further includes a recording data input process for inputting said data to be recorded and a recording process for recording said input data to be recorded on said recording medium.
Further preferably, the data recording method further including a recording data generating process for generating said data to be recorded and in said recording process, said generated data to be recorded is recorded on said recording medium.